Machining apparatus

ABSTRACT

A machining apparatus ( 1 ) for machining rotation-symmetrical workpieces ( 10 ), comprising a machine frame ( 4 ), which has a vertical front face ( 11 ), further comprising at least one vertical workpiece spindle ( 2 ) that is arranged on the front face ( 11 ) and can be driven rotatorily, 
     comprising at least two tool holders ( 3  and  3   a ), which are arranged on the front face ( 11 ) displaceably horizontally and vertically by means of compound slides ( 5  and  5   a ),
 
further comprising a conveyor ( 9 ) for workpieces ( 10 ), and a loading and unloading device ( 13 ), wherein the workpieces ( 10 ) can be transported by the conveyor ( 9 ) in a direction parallel to the front face ( 11 ).

The invention relates to a machining apparatus for machiningrotation-symmetrical workpieces, comprising a vertical workpiece spindleand at least two tool holders according to the preamble of claim 1.

A machining apparatus of this type is known from EP 1 574 273. In thismachine, the workpiece spindle is carried on the machine frame fordisplacement on two axes (X, Z). It operates based on the pick-upmethod, which is to say it seizes the workpieces from a conveyor, feedsthem to the machining operation, and subsequently sets them down again.The two turrets can each be displaced in axial direction X or Z. Theworkpieces are fed in on the one machine side and removed on theopposite side.

It is the object of the present invention to create a compact,space-saving machining apparatus. It is also the aim of the invention toconfigure a machining apparatus such that workpiece transport can becarried out in an optimized and cost-effective manner.

This object is attained by a machining apparatus with thecharacteristics of claim 1.

An advantageous aspect of the invention is the feeding of the workpiecesfrom the operator side in the case of a machining apparatus having avertical working spindle. Since lateral conveyor belts are eliminated, aspace-saving machine design becomes possible. In addition, the machiningapparatus can also be set up in a particularly compact manner. The shortdistances during loading and unloading can be viewed as a furtheradvantage of this solution. As a result, nonproductive times duringwhich no machining of workpieces occurs can be significantly reduced.

Additional characteristics and advantages of the invention will beapparent from the following description based on the illustratedembodiments.

Therein:

FIG. 1 is a front view of the machining apparatus according to theinvention;

FIGS. 2 a and 2 b are detailed views according to FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a side view

FIGS. 4 a and 4 b are detailed illustrations according to FIG. 3;

FIGS. 5 a and 5 b how the gripping operation;

FIGS. 6 and 7 are advantageous embodiments in detail views like FIG. 3.

FIG. 1 shows a machining apparatus 1 for machining rotation-symmetricalworkpieces 10, where for better clarity parts that are not essential forthe invention, particularly details of the drive mechanism, thecontroller and the housing, have been omitted. The machining apparatus 1comprises a vertical workpiece spindle 2 mounted on a machine frame 4 ina stationary manner, and two tool holders 3 and 3 a. The two toolholders 3 and 3 a have turrets displaceable on respective compoundslides 5 and 5 a in a horizontal direction (X) and vertical direction(Z) on the machine frame 4. Turret disks 6 and 6 a with respective tools7 and 7 a are rotatably supported about respective horizontal pivot axes8 and 8 a. A conveyor 9 delivers workpiece blanks 10 to a workpieceintake station 14 and removes the machined workpieces. In anadvantageous embodiment, the conveyor 9 is a continuously moving endlessconveyor belt that continuously pushes the workpieces 10 against a stop15 in the workpiece intake station 14. The detail views of FIGS. 2 a and2 b show the loading process. The start of the loading process is shownin FIG. 2 a. There, a grab 12 of the tool holder 3 seizes the finishedworkpiece 10 in the workpiece spindle 12. Vertical movement of thecompound slide 5 and simultaneous pivoting of the turret disk 6 aboutthe pivot axis 8, sets the workpiece 10 down on the conveyor 9. Thecompound slide 5 also moves horizontally to allow the workpiece spindle2 to be reloaded at the same time. For loading purposes, the grab 12 agrips a workpiece blank 10 a in the intake station 14. The movements ofthe compound slide 5 a and the pivoting movement of the turret disk 6 aoccur synchronously with the movements during unloading but in theopposite direction. FIG. 2 b shows the completed loading process: Thefinished workpiece 10 a has been set down on the conveyor 9 and theworkpiece blank 10 has been fitted to the workpiece spindle 2. Afterremoving the workpiece 10 a from the workpiece intake station 14, thenext workpiece 10 b has been moved by the conveyor 9 to the stop 15.

FIG. 3 shows the machining apparatus 1 in a side view. The machine frame4 comprises a wider lower frame part 17 and a narrower upper frame part18 projecting upward therefrom, the upper part having a vertical frontface 11. The workpiece spindle 2 is fixedly attached to the verticalfront face 11, and the tool holders 3 and 3 a can be displacedhorizontally and vertically by means of the compound slides 5 and 5 a.In an advantageous embodiment, the loading and unloading device 13 isintegrated into the tool holders 3 and 3 a. For handling the workpieces10, the tool holders 3 and 3 a are provided with the respective grabs 12and 12 a. The conveyor 9 extends parallel to the front face 11. Comparedto the state of the art, the distances for loading and unloading areparticularly short because the workpiece intake station 14 can be veryclose to the workpiece spindle 2. As a result, nonproductive time duringwhich no machining of workpieces occurs can be significantly reduced.The short transport distances during loading and unloading are clearlyapparent in the side views according to FIGS. 4 a and 4 b. The grab 12seizes the workpiece 10, and with a vertical movement of the compoundslide 5 and simultaneous pivoting of the turret disk 6 about the pivotaxis 8 by a pivot angle of 90°, the workpiece 10 is set down on theconveyor 9. In order to maneuver the grab 12 into and out of theworkpiece 10 located on the conveyor 9, both parts must be movedrelative to each other in one direction orthogonal to the vertical wall11. To this end, according to FIG. 5 a, the grab 12 can telescope andperform the corresponding lifting motion in the direction of the doublearrow 19 if necessary. Alternatively, in the embodiment according toFIG. 5 b a pusher element 20 is provided that pushes the workpiece 10onto the grab 12.

In the embodiment shown in FIG. 6, horizontal travel of the workpiece 10and the grab 12 can be eliminated by providing the conveyor 9 directlyunderneath the tool holder 3. Here the workpiece 10 is moved verticallydownward onto the conveyor 9 following a pivoting movement of the turretdisk 6 about the pivot axis 8 through an angle β of 180°. Formaneuvering the workpiece 10 in and out, the compound slide 5 is movedvertically.

In a further advantageous embodiment according to FIG. 7, the conveyor 9is positioned between the workpiece spindle 2 and the tool holder 3. Theconveyor 9 can open downward. The workpieces 10 are inserted through anopening 21 into the workpiece spindle 2 by the pusher 20. The embodimenthas the advantage that the moving conveyor 9 needs even less space.

LIST OF REFERENCE NUMERALS

 1 Machining apparatus  2 Workpiece spindle  3 3a Tool holder  4 Machineframe  5 5a Compound slide  6 6a Turret disk  7 7a Tools  8 8a Pivotaxis  9 Conveyor 10 10a Workpiece 11 Front face 12 12a Grab 13Loader/unloader 14 Intake station 15 Stop 16 Lifting device 17 Lowerframe part 18 Upper frame part 19 Double arrow 20 Pusher 21 Opening α βPivot angle

1. A machining apparatus for machining rotation-symmetrical workpieces,comprising a machine frame, which has a vertical front face, furthercomprising at least one vertical workpiece spindle that is arranged onthe front face and can be driven rotatorily, comprising at least twotool holders, which are arranged on the front face displaceablyhorizontally and vertically by means of compound slides, also comprisinga conveyor for workpieces, and a loading and unloading device whereinthe workpieces can be transported by the conveyor in a directionparallel to the front face.
 2. The machining apparatus according toclaim 1 wherein the workpiece spindle is arranged on the machine framein a stationary manner and that the conveyor and the loading andunloading device are arranged beneath the workpiece spindle.
 3. Themachining apparatus according to claim 2 wherein the conveyor and theloading and unloading device are arranged in front of the vertical frontface, viewed from the operator side.
 4. A machining apparatus accordingto claim 1 wherein the tool holders are configured as turrets and thatthe turret disks are supported pivotally about horizontal pivot axes. 5.The machining apparatus according to claim 4 wherein the turrets eachhave a grab for handling the workpieces.
 6. The machining apparatusaccording to claim 5 wherein it has a workpiece intake station and thatthe turrets can be displaced in the active regions of both the workpieceintake station and the workpiece spindle.
 7. The machining apparatusaccording to claim 6 wherein the workpieces can be transported from theworkpiece intake station to the workpiece spindle by means of the grabsby displacing the compound slides and pivoting the turret disks aboutthe horizontal pivot axes.
 8. A machining apparatus according to claim1, further comprising a continuously conveying conveyor wherein a stopis provided for positioning the workpieces in the workpiece intakestation.
 9. The machining apparatus according to claim 7 wherein theworkpieces are transported horizontally on the conveyor and reach avertical position after being received by the grabs as a result ofpivoting the turret disks by 90°, or vice versa from a horizontal to avertical position.
 10. The machining apparatus according to claim 8wherein for receiving the workpiece the grabs and the workpieces can bemoved relative to each other in a direction orthogonal to the frontface.
 11. A machining apparatus according to claim 1 wherein theconveyor transports the workpieces into a position directly beneath theworkpiece spindle wherein a lifting device is provided for inserting theworkpieces into the workpiece spindle.
 12. An apparatus for machiningrotation-symmetrical workpieces, the apparatus comprising: a machineframe having a vertical front face; a vertical spindle mounted on theframe in front of the front face and rotatable about a vertical axis;two tool holders; respective compound slides on the front face carryingthe tool holders and each displaceable horizontally and vertically; andconveyor means for displacing workpiece blanks parallel to the face toan intake position adjacent the spindle and for displacing machinedworkpieces away from the frame also parallel to the face.
 13. Themachining apparatus defined in claim 12 wherein the spindle is onlyrotatable about the spindle axis and is substantially fixed againstother movement on the frame.
 14. The machining apparatus defined inclaim 12 wherein the conveyor is a continuous belt having an upperstretch extending horizontally past the frame underneath the spindle.15. The machining apparatus defined in claim 14, further comprising astop above the upper stretch and defining the intake station.
 16. Themachining apparatus defined in claim 14 wherein the conveyor upperstretch is directly underneath the spindle aligned with the spindle axisand is openable so the workpieces can pass vertically through the upperstretch, the turrets and slides being in turn underneath the conveyor.17. The machining apparatus defined in claim 12 wherein each holder is aturret rotatable about a respective horizontal turret axis on therespective slide.
 18. The machining apparatus defined in claim 17wherein each turret carries offset from the respective turret axis arespective grab.